The online tool iCAN Plan 4 Safety seems like a really great, innovative way to assist women affected by relationship violence (Online tool puts power back in women’s hands, Feb. 5). However, the fact this tool has been created solely for women saddens me, as domestic violence is not gender-specific.
According to a Statistics Canada study in 2005, 7 per cent of women surveyed and 6 per cent of men experienced relationship violence in the last five years. However, if you look at cases reported to the police, in almost 85 per cent of these cases, women are the victims.
Men are not as likely to report relationship violence as women, and when they do, they often have to meet a higher standard of proof. For this reason, a tool such as iCAN Plan 4 Safety would be extremely beneficial for men as well as women.
I believe that iCAN Plan 4 Safety is definitely a step in the right direction to helping individuals that are dealing with relationship violence. However, to be fully effective this program should be marketed towards all individuals, not just one gender.
Alexandra Bozanis
Fourth-year Science student